"a Reagan Forum" Podcast

This Reagan Forum podcast that you are listening to is only one of the eight different podcasts that the Reagan Foundation and Institute produces. In fact, this is only one of two that are audio only – the rest each come with video. One of our favorite podcasts is called the Reagan Retrospective. These podcasts are stories shared by people who knew President and Mrs. Reagan best – people who worked with them, were friends with them, and knew them throughout their life. Each podcast brings you new behind-the-scenes stories from the Reagan years. They’re funny, poignant, and rich in history. Over the past 3 months we have recorded over a dozen of these podcasts and they’re now being released a few per month. So today we are going to share four of our most recent Reagan Retrospective podcasts. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Have you watched our Reaganism podcast yet? Reaganism is dedicated to exploring where the Reagan Movement lives today, hosted by the Director of the Ronald Reagan Institute, Roger Zakheim. The show has two goals: to understand the foundations of the political philosophy that powered the Reagan Revolution; and to host discussions about contemporary issues through the lens of President Reagan. Episodes come out weekly. In a recent episode from August 5, 2024, Roger sat down with Matthew Continetti who serves as the Director of Domestic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. They discuss the historic 2024 presidential campaign and how the election might unfold in November. They also talk about national conservatism, the energy around Kamala Harris, the democratic convention, and more.

On August 14, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted an in-person event with former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross for a discussion on his latest book, Risks and Returns: Creating Success in Business and Life. The book is a candid reflection of a life lived at the pinnacle of Wall Street, New York, and Palm Beach society, as well as within the Trump administration in his role as Commerce Secretary. During the program, Secretary Ross sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute President and CEO David Trulio to discuss his career in business and politics.

On August 7, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted a virtual event with award winning historian, biographer and curator Heath Hardage Lee for a discussion on her latest book, The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady. In The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, Heath Hardage Lee presents readers with the essential nature of Mrs. Nixon, an empathetic, adventurous, self-made woman who wanted no power or influence but connected warmly with ordinary Americans and people from different cultures she encountered world-wide.

Tomorrow, August 30, 2024, the movie REAGAN will be released in theaters nationwide. REAGAN is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. The movie is told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent whose life becomes inextricably linked with Ronald Reagan's when Ronald Reagan first caught the Soviets’ attention as an actor in Hollywood and stars Dennis Quaid, Jon Voight, Penelope Ann Miller, Mena Suvari, Lesley-Anne Down, David Henrie and Kevin Dilon. A month earlier, on July 25, 2024, a handful of the Reagan movie cast joined us at the Reagan Library for an in-person moderated discussion about the film and their roles. During the program, cast members Dennis Quaid, who plays Ronald Reagan, Elya Baskin who plays a soviet defector, Amanda Righetti who plays Nelle Reagan, and Will Wallace who plays Ed Meese, sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute President and CEO David Trulio to share these stories and more.

In today’s Reagan Forum podcast, we bring you our August 8, 2024, in-person event with Justice Neil Gorsuch; his second visit with us. During the program, he discusses his book, “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law,” which highlights increasingly complex laws that take away Americans’ freedoms and undermine respect for the law. Centered around the lives of real people who feel the tolls of excessive regulation, “Over Ruled” provides readers with key insights into preserving liberties for future generations. During the program, Justice Gorsuch sat down with Reagan Foundation and Institute Board Chairman Fred Ryan.

On March 23, 1983, in a televised address to the nation, President Reagan announced his intention to embark upon groundbreaking research into a national defense system that could make nuclear weapons obsolete. At the heart of the Strategic Defense Initiative was the development of a space-based missile defense program that could protect America from a large-scale nuclear attack. Flash forward to today, and now our country has the Missile Defense Agency to develop and deploy a system to defend the United States and its allies - exactly what President Reagan envisioned 40 years ago. On August 1, 2024, the Reagan Foundation was honored to host an in-person event with Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, the Director of the Missile Defense Agency, whose job it is to advise the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering on Missile Defense programmatic policy, requirements, priorities, systems, resources, and programs. During the program, Lt. Gen. Collins sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institut

In his first inaugural address, as he looked out over the National Mall, President Reagan declared, “Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have.” They are words that defined his foreign policy. They are words that defined his presidency. They are words shaped by Ken Khachigian, Ronald Reagan’s chief speechwriter. Less than two weeks ago, on July 30, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted an in-person event with Ken to discuss his latest book, Behind Closed Doors: In The Room with Reagan & Nixon. It’s a book that Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow calls, “essential reading for anyone wanting to know how Ronald Reagan shaped his crusading message of economic growth through tax cuts and limited government.” Behind Closed Doors is a compelling insider’s account by the trusted adviser and confidant t

On July 24, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted a virtual event with President George HW Bush’s former chief-of-staff Jean Becker to discuss her latest book, Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George H.W. Bush. During the program, Jean sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller to discuss President Bush’s character, humility, love of country, and love for his family.

President Reagan strongly believed in the importance of educating our youth about the Founding Fathers and the nation's foundational documents, such as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. In 1981, he eloquently articulated this conviction by referring to these documents as the "Charters of Freedom," underscoring their role as the bedrock of American law and guardians of inalienable rights and privileges. It is for these reasons that the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute recently worked with Foundation Forward to install a permanent Charters of Freedom Monument on the Reagan Library campus. The monument includes life-sized replicas of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence, as well as a panel on Civil Rights. This monument was dedicated and unveiled during a ceremony on the Reagan Library campus on the 4th of July.

President Reagan hated war. He wanted to prevent war. And in the event he ever had to use force, it would be to advance freedom – and not to conquer. President Reagan sought peace, and he understood that peace requires strength. It is strength that tyrants respect. It is strength that enemies understand. It is strength that keeps the peace. As a guiding philosophy, “Peace Through Strength” is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago. In this Reagan Forum podcast we look back at our 80th anniversary of D-Day commemoration event held on June 6, 2024. The specific panel in this podcast focuses on where we need our leaders to rediscover and recommit to President Reagan’s philosophy. The Wall Street Journal’s Kate Bachelder Odell moderated a conversation with Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Burt, who was with Ronald Reagan in Normandy, Frank Lavin, who served as Ronald Reagan’s White House Director of Political Affairs—and later served as ambassador to Singapore under President George W. Bush, and Matt K

It was June 6, 1984. President Reagan delivered two speeches that day to honor the 40th anniversary of D-Day. People forget that there were two speeches. Of course, there’s the “Pointe du Hoc” speech, and then his other remarks at Omaha Beach. There, he honored those who fought, those who died and those who returned. Lisa Zanatta Henn was there that day in 1984, keeping a promise she made to her father, and she joined us at the Reagan Library on June 6, 1984 to honor the 80th anniversary of D-Day. She sat on a panel alongside Jim Kuhn, Assistant to the President in the Reagan White House, who was in Normandy in June of ‘84. They were also joined by Cameron Toor, a recent veteran of the U.S. Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment. They were joined on stage in conversation with presidential historian, bestselling author and Rice University Professor Douglas Brinkley.

Last month we shared with you our two panels and our one Keynote Fireside Chat as part of our June 5, 2024 event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of President Ronald Reagan. This month we turn to our panels and Keynote Fireside Chat that were held at the Reagan Library on June 6, 2024, on the day the country and the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. This occasion was marked brilliantly by President Reagan 40 years ago on that day in 1984 when he delivered two memorable and moving speeches, one of which highlighted the selfless and heroic actions of the “boys of Pointe du Hoc.” During our programs, we heard from people who were with President Reagan in France that day, as well as discussion around President Reagan’s steadfast support of our allies and the “Peace Through Strength” policy he championed. Our day ended with a lively and fascinating conversation with Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State and now Director of the Hoover Institution

As we have been sharing with you all month, we gathered at the Reagan Library on June 5, 2024, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of President Reagan.  The day was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on our 40th President’s legacy and its enduring impact to this day and beyond.  We began with a special ceremony to honor this 20-year milestone.  From there, we heard from many who served in the Reagan Administration, discussing both his domestic and foreign policies, and how they continue to shape the world.  We concluded the day with a special after dinner conversation with Peggy Noonan and the children of two of President Reagan’s closest friends and allies on the world stage, Margaret Thatcher and Brian Mulroney. In today’s Reagan Forum Podcast we focus on our keynote fireside chat.  When talking about President Reagan’s legacy, it is impossible to not intertwine it with his allies and his friends. Including former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and former Canadian Prime Minister Br

As we shared with you last week, we gathered at the Reagan Library on June 5, 2024, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of President Reagan. The day was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on our 40th President’s legacy and its enduring impact to this day and beyond. In a CBS piece that aired the night of President Reagan’s death, Leslie Stahl concluded, quote, “Ending the Cold War will certainly be how he is remembered most in history.” If that was President Reagan’s crowning foreign policy achievement, then Peace Through Strength was his most important guiding philosophy. As such, in today’s Reagan Forum Podcast we focus on the second panel from our June 5th event – Leadership Abroad: Peace Through Strength. The panel was moderated by Fox News’s Guy Benson.  He sat down in discussion with Former UN Ambassador and President Reagan’s Arms Control Director Ken Adelman, who is also the author of Reagan at Reykjavik, Paula Dobriansky, who served as director of European and Soviet Affairs on the Re

We gathered at the Reagan Library on June 5, 2024, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of President Reagan. The day was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on our 40th President’s legacy and its enduring impact to this day and beyond. In today’s Reagan Forum Podcast, we focus on the first panel from our June 5th event – Leadership at Home: Morning in America. The panel was moderated by veteran journalist Ann Compton – who covered President Reagan at the White House. She sat down in discussion with Andy Card who served as Special Assistant to President Reagan and, of course, later as Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Influential economist Dr. Art Laffer who served as a member of President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board, and Stephen Moore, the widely read economic advisor and commentator, who served in the Reagan administration Office of Management and Budget. During the hour-long panel, they discussed President Reagan and his economic policies, how they impacted America in the

On May 29, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted a virtual event with Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Carlos Lozada for a discussion of his latest book, The Washington Book, which explores how people in power reveal themselves through their books and writings and, in so doing, illuminates the personal, political, and cultural conflicts driving Washington and the nation. It explores the construction of personal identity, the delusions of leadership, and that mix of subservience and ambition that can define a life in politics. During the program, Carlos sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller.

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present our Memorial Day Commemoration held at the Reagan Library just three days ago.  Each year the Reagan Library holds a special program that honors the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. This year, we were honored to have as our keynote Michael Blassie’s sister, United States Air Force Colonel Patricia Blassie (retired). Our program also included a flyover, a Color Guard, live music, and remarks by Gold Star Family Member Tony Cordero.

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present Ed O’Keefe, the CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation, for his latest book, The Loves of Theodore Roosevelt: The Women Who Created a President. During this virtual event, Ed sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Education and Program Officer Richard Schroeder to discuss his book.

In this week’s “A Reagan Forum” we present three co-authors – Anita McBride, Diana Carlin, and Nancy Kegan Smith – who joined us at the Reagan Library on May 8, 2024, to discuss their new book, Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women. The discussion surrounded their groundbreaking book, showcasing the evolutionary role of the First Lady and its historical importance in the American presidency. They shine a light on the influential women who broke barriers and made a mark on our country and, at times, our world, during their tenures in the White House. Anita McBride's White House service spans two decades and three presidential administrations. She served as director of White House Personnel under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and as director of the U.S. Speaker's Bureau at the United States Information Agency. She then served as assistant to President George W. Bush and chief of staff to First Lady Laura Bush. Diana Carlin co-founded the First Ladies Associat